For those who have lived in Lagos since the 80s, the name Gbagada is not alien to them. It is also possible to say that the Deeper Life Church located in that area of Lagos State popularised Gbagada. Before the new church building in Gbagada, what stood as the headquarters of the church was a massive ramshackle structure woven together with woods, rods and zinc. The structure itself sat on a reclaimed swamp that once in a while showed its anger by letting out some black debris.
In those days, almost every day of the week, anywhere you stood at Oshodi, you would hear commercial bus drivers and their conductors calling passengers “Gbagada church, Gbagada church, Gbagada church”; it was as if there was a church called Gbagada.
That was the extent of the popularity of the Deeper Life Church in Gbagada.
The influx of worshippers and all manner of vehicles usually caused heavy gridlocks several hours after a service session ended. Despite huge deployment of church workers to help direct traffic, it was always hectic and residents of the area, particularly, those whose houses were located close to the church, did not find the experience funny while it lasted.
It was against this backdrop that when the church decided to build an ultra-modern edifice that sits on several acres of land, it met some resistance from neighbours, who genuinely reasoned that such a massive project that would accommodate several thousands of worshippers at a sitting would worsen the traffic situation of the area.
As expected, petitions began to fly to Alausa, Ikeja, the seat of power of Lagos State. The church also, being an assemblage of a people with Christ-like mind, knowing the negative implication of such a gargantuan project without adequate plan for traffic management, put on its thinking cap.
Pastor William Kumuyi, the general superintendent, a former Mathematics don with the University of Lagos, being an egghead himself rallied other eggheads in the church to proffer a solution. The result is the projects that have made the worried neighbours to become calm.
It has made those who had picked some sharp stones to cast at the church to drop the stones and have rather joined the Hallelujah chorus sounding in their domain on account of the commissioned projects that have been put in place at a huge financial cost to the church to make traffic in the area seamless.
The church came up with a link bridge on Oduwaiye Street, constructed by Julius Berger. It also built an ultra-modern four-level underground car park designed to accommodate over 600 vehicles. It was handled by Cappa and D’alberto. There is also an array of traffic lights around the vicinity, positioned in such a way that vehicular movements would be perfectly controlled.
Briefing journalists who were on tour of the commissioned projects, Pastor Kayode Dada, the architect, said: “We commissioned three projects on 27 February 2018. First is the bridge. It was a street before now but because of the terrain we had to seize the opportunity to fly a bridge across. The reason for doing that is that we have the worshippers pass under the bridge so that the community can use the bridge. It is to completely minimise the traffic (both human and vehicular traffic on the area.
“Then we commissioned a multi-level car park (four floors) 1 and 3 for cars to take up to 555 cars. The last level is level 4, dedicated to buses. It will take up to 76 buses. Already, the church has procured 50 buses and is still going ahead to procure more.”
Dada further said: “We also commissioned the traffic light all around here. It is to control, moderate and direct traffic. There is nowhere in the world you don’t have heavy traffic. As a matter of fact, the number of vehicles they have in New York is maybe three times what you have in Lagos, yet there’s a way you can organise yourself and all that. So, the traffic light will help to control the traffic.”
According to him, “The church went into all these to make sure that there is sanity around this place and that those who knew us in the past when Deeper Life was here, the problem with traffic, so we had to show that such will no longer be the case, the church has gone ahead to make sure such does not happen. Everybody in the community here will be comfortable as the church also carries out its activities without obstruction.”
Explaining the role played by the Lagos State Government in the project, and expressing gratitude for the collaboration, the Architect said:
“Financially, the cost of the bridge, car park and the traffic lights was borne by members of the church. In terms of getting the work done, we need to express our gratitude to the Lagos State Government ministry of transport; physical planning, and works and infrastructure. They really assisted us in getting things done altogether.
“We also, want to thank the LASTMA people – the awareness and sensitisation even when the bridge was about to be constructed. It was organised jointly by the agency and the church to redirect the traffic, even while the construction was going on. Up till now, they are still there monitoring traffic around here.”
Ifeanyi Emmanuel Okoye, premises manager, said that members of the community were elated, as the as development in any area opens up such a community.
On the evangelistic implication of the projects, Okoye admitted that without consciously going into preaching, what the church has done was capable of leading souls to Christ.
“By building infrastructure in this area, have we done a good thing? When you do good and people are impressed by it, can it make them to begin to enquire as regards the spirit behind it? Can it touch their soul? So, is it part of evangelism? So, by extrapolation you can say that if doing good will help evangelism and you acknowledge that this is good, then you can answer whether or not it is evangelism,” he said.
“It is part of good neighborliness. You do whatever is in your power to ensure that you are not a nuisance to those around you. I will think that as a church that practises what it preaches, the Bible says live peaceably with all men, it has put up the projects as part of good neighbourliness,” Okoye further said.
A commercial bus driver told BDSUNDAY on the commissioned bridge, ‘I live in this area. We are happy with what this Church has done. Quote me, the angels are happy also. This place is like London.”
A young man in his early 30s was seen posing and taking selfie, he simply told our reporter, “Man, this place has become something else. Money is good ooo.”
Zebulon Agomuo
